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One of the things I hate about the Serie A and the world soccer landscape in general is how quickly the focus turns from the actual games to the transfer window. The games are, after all, the reason for the transfer window, not the other way around, and I wish we had more time to savor them and think about what went right and wrong for Fiorentina over the course of a wild year.
Unfortunately, that time isn’t a luxury afforded us, and we’ll start ramping up actual transfer coverage next week while we finish our season retrospective. Still, you know that Daniele Pradè and company are thinking long and hard about how to reinforce this squad. That means identifying transfer targets, sure, but more than anything, it means figuring out where the current group of players could be upgraded.
Let’s start from the back. Pietro Terracciano is steady as they come and did a good job this year, but Fiorentina clearly want another option between the sticks, as demonstrated by the additions of Gianluigi Gollini and Salvatore Sirigu this year. Sticking with defense, the rise of Luca Ranieri means that centerback isn’t as pressing an issue unless one of the 4 on the roster move on. Cristiano Biraghi and Dodô, meanwhile, form an excellent fullback tandem, but Lorenzo Venuti’s imminent departure and Aleksa Terzić’s questionable development leave questions among the backups.
There are questions in midfield, too. Sofyan Amrabat is likely to leave, so finding a replacement will weigh heavily on the brain trust; Rolando Mandragora and Alfred Duncan, while capable players, probably aren’t up to the task, and Alessandro Bianco likely needs another year or two. Gaetano Castrovilli’s reinvention as a box-to-box force was very exciting, but he’s not a holding midfielder. Giacomo Bonaventura and Antonín Barák provide a good shot-chaser combo as more creative options, but more depth is never a bad idea.
In the attack, the team has a glut of wingers even with Riccardo Saponara moving on: Nicolás González, Christian Kouamé, Jonathan Ikoné, Riccardo Sottil, and Josip Brekalo. Nico is untouchable, of course, but it’s still not clear which of the others best complements him, if any. Up front, Arthur Cabral and Luka Jović were sporadically good but need to offer more consistency; a more consistent presence could lift the whole team.
Poll
Which position does Fiorentina most need to address this summer?
This poll is closed
-
11%
Goalkeeper
(29 votes) -
20%
Centerback
(51 votes) -
1%
Rightback
(4 votes) -
1%
Leftback
(3 votes) -
20%
Defensive midfield
(50 votes) -
6%
Central midfield
(16 votes) -
2%
Attacking midfield
(6 votes) -
2%
Left wing
(7 votes) -
0%
Right wing
(1 vote) -
32%
Striker
(82 votes)
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